SUNRISE 2018

OUR TIME TO RISE

WE’RE BUILDING AN ARMY.

Everyone can see that the climate is changing. Home doesn’t feel like home anymore. We face the frightening reality that climate change will irreversibly transform our world within our lifetimes. Solutions to stop climate change are ready to go, and they’ll create millions of jobs. But this brighter future is being held hostage by a greedy handful of wealthy oil and gas executives. They will stop at nothing to make sure they can profit from the main culprit of climate change: fossil fuels.

Politicians bought by them can’t be counted on to do what is needed to protect our generation.

This year, we say: No More Fossil Fuel Money.

When our government is beholden to people, not polluters, we can unite to take on the challenge of our generation. We are not looking to the right or left. We are looking forward. Together, we will change this country and this world, sure as the sun rises each morning.

Sunrise is building an army of young people to make climate change an urgent priority across America, end the stranglehold of fossil fuel executives on our government, and elect a new generation of leaders who’ll stand for the health and wellbeing of all people.

1. WEAR THE PATCH.

The patch is the first step to show that you’re part of the army of young people who will take on climate change and set this country on the right track.

Each patch comes with a second to share with a friend. Share with them what we risk losing to climate change, what you’re fighting to protect, and ask them to join you.

2. SIGN THE PETITION.

“WE DEMAND ALL POLITICIANS AND POLITICAL CANDIDATES REJECT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE OIL, GAS, AND COAL INDUSTRY AND INSTEAD PRIORITIZE THE HEALTH OF OUR FAMILIES, CLIMATE, AND DEMOCRACY OVER FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY PROFITS. TAKE THE NO FOSSIL FUEL MONEY PLEDGE.”

Sign the petition online, and get all of your friends and family to do the same. We’ll publicly deliver the petitions to candidates and the major political parties so that they hear our message.

▶ SUNRISE GOAL: 50,000 signatures by June 1st

Our #1 goal in 2018 is to get as many candidates as possible to sign the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge. This is how we show the public whether politicians answer to the American people, or Big Oil.

3. MAKE THE ASK.

Lots of candidates, especially local candidates, are on board with our goals, but don’t know about the pledge.

Email or call them to set up a meeting. Then, ask them in person to sign the pledge.

If they are reluctant or wishy-washy, you might need to show up and be vocal at their events.

▶ SUNRISE GOAL: 100 candidate meetings attended

4. SHOW UP & BE VOCAL

It can feel like fossil fuel executives have complete control over our government — shaping our laws, lives, and planet. But they’re only able to get away with their pay-to-play politics because they corrupt our democracy in the shadows. When we shine light on their dirty money ties, people see the truth, and our army grows. Only light can drive out darkness.

Bring the threat of climate change and the corrupting role of fossil fuel money into the light. Do some research on candidates’ speaking events, public meetings, and fundraisers. Then, show up and ask them to take the pledge! Film yourselves and put it on social media with #ShineALight so we can keep up the pressure online.

Even if they don’t say yes right away, you’ve raised public awareness and inserted climate change into the conversation. That’s a win.

▶ SUNRISE GOAL: Publicly challenge 75 candidates to take the pledge.

BUILD YOUR TEAM

Working to stop climate change is more fun with friends. Sunrise is run by local groups called Hubs. Hubs are central to our movement— they’re how we make sure that we’re constantly growing and bringing in new people.

First, check here to see if a Sunrise Hub already exists where you live that you could join. If not, start one!

Here’s how:

Find 2 friends to team up with you.

Work with your friends to talk to 25 people and get them to sign the petition to tell our leaders to take the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge.

Once you’ve hit 25 signatures, become an official Sunrise hub by emailing newhubs@sunrisemovement.org. We’ll send you some Sunrise stickers and patches, and add you to our national map of hubs.

Invite people on your list to a meeting to make a plan for how your team will get fossil fuel money out of politics!

Level up: Once you have taken action with Sunrise through any of the steps listed on the pages before, request a weekend-long training to dive into the challenge of climate change and our plan to stop it. Send an email to trainings@sunrisemovement.org and someone from the Sunrise Training Network will be in touch to set a date and send a team to your hub.

GO ALL-IN: JOIN SUNRISE SEMESTER

Our country is living through a dark hour. It’s up to us to make the sun rise. We need at least 100 young people to go all-in for 6 months from June through November, working on the 2018 elections.

After our one-week bootcamp, you will fan out to one of five politically significant states — Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, and New York — where you’ll coordinate the efforts of thousands of our existing members and help bring in new recruits to our army for action.

Together, we’ll work creatively to expose the corrupting role of Big Oil on our elections, challenge candidates to refuse fossil fuel money, and endorse and campaign for candidates with a conscience and a spine, from the local to the statewide and federal levels.

WHY US?

Our generation will inherit this world. We come from diverse communities, and many of us are already witnessing the climate crisis unfold. Unsurprisingly, our generation overwhelmingly supports ambitious climate action. Eighty percent of us want America to transition to mostly clean or renewable energy by 2030.

In 2018, our generation will be the largest voting bloc in U.S. politics for the very first time. If our army can speak up together and get millennials to the polls in historic numbers, we can say to politicians with conscience: fight like hell for us, or we’ll replace you with someone who will.

WHY 2018?

Last year, record-breaking floods, fires, droughts, and storms claimed the lives of many and threatened the livelihoods of millions of Americans. We know it will only get worse if we don’t stop burning the fossil fuels causing global warming.

This year, politicians across the country are running for office. For many of them to win, they’ll need our votes, volunteer hours, and voices. Together, we can make 2018 the year when no politician can claim to care about our generation’s future and still take money from fossil fuel executives, their front-groups, or lobbyists.

We’re drawing a line: No More Fossil Fuel Money.

WHY ARE MI, FL, PA, MN, AND NY THE STATES FOR SUNRISE SEMESTER? CAN I STILL BE A PART OF SUNRISE IF I DON’T LIVE IN THESE STATES?

Yes! You can be a part of Sunrise no matter where you live. Climate change is a huge challenge and everyone everywhere has a role to play. The reality is that some states are key battlegrounds for political power. During Sunrise Semester, we’ll zero-in where we can have the greatest impact. But the critical work to get fossil fuel money out of politics can and must be done wherever you are.

DOES SUNRISE ALIGN ITSELF WITH A POLITICAL PARTY?

No. Climate change isn’t picking sides and neither are we. We’re asking all of our neighbors and relatives to join us to win the action we need to protect the health and wellbeing of all people.